


Springtime Fever

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Series: Land and Sea [27]
Category: Poldark - All Media Types, Return to Treasure Island (TV)
Genre: Explicit Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 19:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4718411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fill for the Summer Fandom Raffle Exchange Prompt No. 61 "In spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of ...what?"</p><p>Spring is a time for weddings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Springtime Fever

Dress uniforms were a bitch. 

Ross shifted and looked at Jim standing next to him. Jim was immaculate as usual, dark blue dress uniform perfectly turned out, the two stripes of gold braiding at his cuffs indicating his rank and his officer’s cap set at just the right angle, dress sword on his left hip. But then, Ross reasoned to himself, Jim was at least in a shirt and tie, and not straightjacketed into the heavy serge tunic that he was. And the fact that his dress uniform was all black was not something that made the unseasonably warm spring day any more bearable. And while Jim handled his sword as it born to it, Ross kept accidentally poking people with his. At least it made Rose giggle. 

Ross turned back and looked down the line of people standing waiting outside the Preston family chapel which was attached to the west wing of the house, but with a set of double doors that opened onto the stretch of lawn they were currently standing on. It was one of the benefits, Ruth had said, of having the building on the grounds in spite of the annual cost of its upkeep if it meant that her son could get married to his partner in it without having to deal with the unpleasantness of the local Church of England vicar not wanting to perform the ceremony. And Alec was a stickler for ceremony and tradition, as all the Navy men seemed to be. It had driven Harry nuts in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

************

‘I don’t see why we just couldn’t have eloped to Las Vegas and been fucking done with it.’ Harry grumbled to Ross. It was Thursday night and Ross had driven into Hamworthy to meet him at the SBS regular. He knew all of Harry’s squad now, just like Harry knew his. There were several hands raised in greeting when he walked in, going to the table at the back where he and Harry always sat. Two and a half years had cemented their friendship and not a week passed where one or the other didn’t make the drive for an evening of drinking, pool and talking about assorted subjects, which was mainly code for talking about Jim and Alec.

‘Because Ruth would have flayed you alive?’ Ross sipped his Guiness and grinned. ‘I would not want to cross that woman. Especially seeing as she’s going to officially be your mother-in-law from next Saturday.’ 

‘Be a fuckload easier.’ Harry said. Then he gave Ross a smile that Ross knew was going herald nothing good. ‘You do realise that this is going to kick things off though.’

‘In what way?’ Ross said, playing ignorant. He knew he could sometimes be a dense bugger, but you’d have to been completely oblivious to have missed the looks Rose had been giving him and Jim lately. But he was damned if he was going to be the one to bring it up. Harry chuckled.

‘Keep playing dumb, Poldark. But don’t say I didn’t fucking warn you. You and Jim have been together for four years now.’ 

‘And you and Alec were together for six before you finally got your act together.’ Ross countered. ‘Besides, Jim isn’t the marrying kind.’ 

‘Are you sure about that?’ Harry asked. ‘I didn’t think I would be either, but here I am getting hitched to the most gorgeous bastard in the Royal Navy next Saturday.’

‘If his monologues on the outdated tradition of marriage are anything to go by, then yes.’ Ross said. ‘And I think you’ll find that Jim is the most gorgeous bastard in the Royal Navy, thank you very much.’ They looked at each other and snorted with laughter. 

‘How the hell did we end up with them?’ Harry asked, although they both knew it was a rhetorical question. 

‘Blind fucking luck, mate.’ Ross said. ‘We must be the luckiest buggers alive.’

‘No fucking lie there.’ Harry said. 

************

‘This is so exciting!’ Ross jumped as his arm was grasped tightly. He looked down at the woman who had become his mother in all but name in the last two and a half years, ever since his own mother had written him out of her life. Rose looked gorgeous in a floral dress with rich tones that turned her blue eyes violet. She smiled up at him, and he could just see her mind working overtime. He was thankful that Jim had wandered over to go rescue Halford who’d been cornered by an aged Preston family member. ‘I can’t wait for you two to do this.’

‘There’s absolutely no guarantee that we will, Rose.’ he said and she made an inelegant snorting noise. 

‘I can daydream, Ross, so shut your mouth.’ she said pertly and he grinned. 

‘Yes, Mom.’ he responded and she laughed. 

‘You know, if you never even ask him we’ll never find out if he would have said yes or no.’ she said, her eyes crinkling and mischief dancing in their depths.

‘Christ.’ Ross said, but he couldn’t hide the laugh in his voice, ‘I should never have asked you.’

‘Well, I’m sorry but when I get asked “hypothetically” what kind of wedding ring I think my son would like, I get a little overexcited at the prospect of an actual engagement.’ Rose said. She gave a passing guest an intense look and then decided she didn’t actually know them.

‘It’s only because I went with him to go help him pick them out.’ Ross protested. Harry had enlisted him in purchasing the wedding rings and he’d made the mistake of wondering aloud what Jim would prefer. In the presence of Jim’s mother. Probably not a very clever move in hindsight.

‘Say what you want, but I know you.’ Rose turned that laser like scrutiny on him, and Ross raised an eyebrow at her. ‘I think that marriage would quite suit you.’ 

Fortunately for him, Ross was saved from having to rebut her statement by Ruth and Preston coming over. Like Jim, Preston was also in her dress uniform, her thick black hair twisted into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck and her cap set over her silvery eyes. 

‘Best man.’ she said, grinning at him. 

‘Best woman.’ he retorted and she snickered. 

‘I think it’s about time.’ Ruth said. ‘Would you be so good as to tell the happy couple to get their arses into gear so they can get married and we can all start drinking.’

‘Will do.’ Ross said. He looked over at Jim, and as if by magic Jim looked up at the exact same time. Ross smiled at him and tapped his wrist and Jim nodded. Then Ross followed Ruth and Preston across the lawn and into the house. He knew the layout as well as Jim did now, and headed up the staircase and down the corridor that led to the bedroom that Harry and Alec were using. Never one to adhere to tradition, Harry had laughed off Alec’s insistence that it was bad luck to see each other before the wedding (I am not a bride for fuck’s sake!) and so they were getting dressed in the same room. They got to the door and Preston knocked, then went in, not bothering for an answer. They found Harry patiently knotting Alec’s tie for him. He looked over his shoulder and smiled.

‘You two are taking for fucking ever.’ Preston said with her usual tact. ‘Hurry the fuck up, Alexander.’

‘Shut it, Wilhelmina.’ Alec said, looking deeply into Harry’s green eyes with what could only be described as undying devotion. Preston gave them a once over and then made vomiting noises. When they both turned to glare at her she grinned unrepentantly. 

‘There.’ Harry said, turning back to Alec and giving his tie a final adjustment. ‘You look fucking perfect.’ 

‘So do you.’ Alec was wearing that usual sardonic smile of his, but today it was also touched with a happiness that was completely endearing. He leaned forward and kissed Harry once and Harry’s whole face lit up.

‘Jesus Christ, I am going to be fucking sick.’ Preston said, going over and grabbing her brother’s hand. ‘Come on Juliet, let’s get you to the fucking chapel.’ Preston followed, protesting and just managing to grab his sword on the way out. Ross watched them go, laughing. 

Once they had left the room he looked at Harry and saw a smidgen of trepidation in his freckled face. It was well-hidden and the casual observer would have noticed nothing but Ross was also too well-versed in hiding his feelings and could the signs a mile off now.

‘You okay?’ he asked. ‘Last chance to high tail it the fuck out of here. We can be in Brazil in eighteen hours.’

‘Fuck.’ Harry said, turning to the mirror and putting on his officer’s cap, adjusting it precisely. ‘I am getting fucking married.’

‘Yes you fucking are.’ Ross walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘So, come on.’ Harry took a deep breath.

‘Rings?’ he asked and Ross tapped his breast pocket.

‘All here.’ He replied and Harry exhaled noisily then straightened up.

‘Right.’ he said. ‘Let’s do this.’ 

They went downstairs and out into the sunshine. The gathered crowd was dispersed, having gone inside the chapel to sit down. As they approached, the last remaining people broke into cheers at the arrival of the two grooms. Just ahead of them, Ross could see Sellar, Colette and Rose going inside. Jim was still outside, Halford on his arm as was tradition. When they saw them coming, he leaned in and whispered something to her that made her giggle and then he escorted her inside. 

As they got to the entrance, Ross watched as Harry’s squad arranged themselves into two neat rows, drew their regimental dress swords and crossed them to form an arch under which the couple to would walk. There had been an argument that almost ended in an international incident when trying to decide who would form the arch that was traditionally formed when the two grooms would walk out the chapel. Finally, with some nifty negotiation from him as a neutral party, it had been decided that the Marines would go against tradition and form an arch for them to walk into and the Naval contingent would do it for the walk out, seeing as it was Alec who had proposed. 

Alec and Preston were waiting and Alec let go of Preston’s hand, moving to Harry and offering him his arm.

‘You ready for this Staff Sargeant Campbell?’ he asked. Harry smiled and affectionately knocked the visor of Alec’s cap.

‘Lead the way Lieutenant-Commander Preston.’ he said. He took Alec’s arm. Ross went to Preston and she took his offered arm. They went through the arch of swords, smiles plastered on the faces of Harry’s squad, with the grooms behind them, and into the chapel.

They made their way down the aisle to the front where the registrar was standing. Then moved to stand at the sides of where Harry and Alec would stand. Ross cast a glance back at the Preston side of the chapel where he could see Jim sitting in the front row with Ruth, Alasdair, Halford and Rose. Behind them were the Sellars and Preston and Alec’s oldest brother Richard, his wife Emily and their five boys varying in age from fifteen to two. Jim caught his eye and winked at him. Ross smiled back and turned to face the door as the two violinists struck up Heart of Oak and the whole congregation rose. Alasdair made an approving noise from his place in the front row, and Preston grinned across at Ross. The music had been her idea. Alec and Harry came down the aisle using measured precise steps and took their place in front of the registrar, the congregation sat down and the wedding began.

Ross watched on, a strange feeling starting to bubble up inside him as the registrar went on about love and commitment. He’d been to enough weddings in his life to not be unfamiliar with the proceedings but this was so different. Marriage was something he’d pretty much discounted from his life, and even having Jim hadn’t really changed his view on that, right up until the last couple of weeks when he’d been dragged into Harry’s wedding fever, although it was more like a mild temperature with Harry being so laid back about things. And he’d been lying ever so slightly when he’d told Rose that it was just because he’d been helping and gone with to get the rings and all that other stuff. 

He’d actually started thinking about it.

Marrying Jim.

Oh fucking Christ.

There was a clearing of someone’s throat and Ross suddenly realised every eye in the chapel was on him.

‘Sorry?’ he asked and there was a distinct snort of laughter from the other side. Ross didn’t even have to look to know it came from Jim.

‘The rings?’ the registrar. Said, and Ross blushed. He’d zoned out so completely that he’d totally missed his cue after Alec and Harry had said their first set of vows. He dug in his pocket, handing them over and then went back to his position. He looked across and saw Jim giving him that smile that told Ross he couldn’t believe he was in love with such a dork. It was one he knew well. 

***********

‘What the hell were you thinking about?’ Jim was smiling at Ross over his champagne glass. Ross glared back at him.

‘Nothing.’ he said defensively. ‘I just lost track, that’s all.’ 

‘Right.’ Jim said, sounding completely unconvinced. They were standing in the marquis for the post wedding celebration which was a sit down lunch and the traditional cake cutting. There was going to be another informal reception later that evening and then the traditional send off at midnight. Harry and Alec were going to Barbados for two weeks on honeymoon and had an early morning flight.

Over near the main table Alec and Harry were standing, rings on fingers and beaming at everyone and most of all at each other. The happiness practically radiated from them.

‘They look good together.’ Jim said, and Ross looked at him. 

‘Yes, they do.’ he said thoughtfully.


End file.
